Five Questions With USA Today’s Kevin Allen
The USA Today’s Kevin Allen was kind enough to sit down with PHR and survey the hockey landscape as the season is just under a month away from starting. Allen takes a look at early contenders, whether the Red Wings are in as much as trouble as some think, and of course, some insights on Jimmy Vesey.
Allen has written for the USA Today since 1986, and won the Lester Patrick Award in 2013 and the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 2014. He was also inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. Make sure to give Kevin a follow on Twitter @bykevinallen. You can also catch up on Allen’s coverage here.
PHR: Very early predictions: Who do you see as contenders for the upcoming season, barring any unforeseen injuries?
Allen: The Tampa Bay Lightning are my early pick to win it all. With Steven Stamkos now healthy and not worrying about his future, I foresee him uncorking a monster season. This team has all the necessary ingredients to win it all, and Jonathan Drouin will make the Lightning stronger by having a breakthrough season. Don’t be surprised if Andrei Vasilevskiy becomes the No. 1 goalie. That might allow GM Steve Yzerman the opportunity to deal Ben Bishop at the trade deadline to add another piece for his puzzle. I’m also not discounting the Pittsburgh Penguins, although we all know how challenging it is to repeat. Also, the Washington Capitals will be right there again. The Montreal Canadiens, with a healthy Carey Price, and the addition of Andrew Shaw, Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber, will be much improved. Radulov is not Alexander Semin.
In the West, I like the Chicago Blackhawks because Brian Campbell will make their defense whole again. The erosion of their depth does, however, concern me. I have the high-scoring Dallas Stars number two because I believe they will deal for a goalie near the trade deadline. Wouldn’t Bishop be a good fit for them? I have the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks in my next grouping. The Predators’ have more potential than fans seem to realize. P.K. Subban is a much better fit for coach Peter Laviolette’s attacking offensive system than Weber was. The Sharks will be the same force they were last May and June.
PHR: Concern seems to be rising about the Detroit Red Wings–everything from contract terms, direction, and what seems to be an aversion to invest in the youth of the team. Do you think that concern is warranted?
Allen: Yes, only because we simply have no idea how effective their younger players are going to be. The Red Wings are a hard read because there are too many variables. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist seemed to take a step back last season, and it’s anybody’s guess whether Anthony Mantha will be an impact player. How sharp will Petr Mrazek be this season? The Thomas Vanek signing was a good roll of the dice, and Frans Nielsen will be a quality No. 2 center. But the Red Wings are the league’s mystery team. It wouldn’t be surprising if they missed the playoffs by 10 points, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they were the No. 4 or No. 5 team in the Eastern Conference.
PHR: Who do you feel had the best offseason?
- New York Rangers: Jeff Gorton improved the team speed with the addition of Michael Grabner. Nathan Gerbe is also quick. He signed skillful Pavel Buchnevich out of the Kontinental Hockey League. They stunned plenty of people by landing Jimmy Vesey and they changed their look by trading finesse center Derick Brassard for bigger and younger center Mika Zibanejad; Defenseman Nick Holden also wasn’t a bad pick-up.
- Montreal Canadiens: Addressed many problems. They will be more difficult to play against now because of the addition of Andrew Shaw and Shea Weber. In the long-term, the Canadiens will lose the Subban-for-Weber trade. But in the short term, Weber is the perfect fit for this team.
- Arizona Coyotes: Young GM John Chayka added Alex Goligoski, Jamie McGinn, Radim Vrbata and a few prime prospects. I like the addition of Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun.
PHR: How will Jiri Hudler fit in with Dallas? Do you see a season closer to 2014-15 or 2015-16?
Allen: It’s a nifty pick-up by GM Jim Nill who knows Hudler well from their days together in Detroit. This merely adds to the team’s already strong offense. He still has magic in his hands. He should be a 55 to 60-point guy.
PHR: After all the hoopla with Jimmy Vesey, how do you see him fitting in with the Rangers?
Allen: He may play on a line with his buddy Kevin Hayes. Obviously, there are several examples of major college free agents not panning out. But scouts believe Vesey will be a quality NHL scorer. Depending upon whether he receives power play time, he might be a 20-goal guy this season.
Las Vegas Hires Karpan, Campese
The Las Vegas TBAs and GM George McPhee have continued to add strong hockey voices to their front office, today hiring Bruno Campese as an amateur scout and Vaughn Karpan as their director of player personnel.
Karpan, 55, had been with the Montreal Canadiens organization since 2005, and last year was promoted to director of professional scouting. During his playing days, Karpan was a member of the Canadian national team from 1983-1988 and competed at two Olympic games, coming in fourth both times (the Soviet Union won both tournaments). Regarded as an exceptionally knowledgeable hockey mind that leans slightly analytical at times, Karpan will represent a good balance to a front office with long-time GMs in McPhee and assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon.
Campese is a former head coach and general manager of the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, and has been around the game for a long time going back to his selection by the Boston Bruins in the 12th round of the 1982 draft. He never made it to the NHL, though he did play professionally in a handful of other countries around the world. Campese also competed at the Olympics, this time the 1994 games for his home country of Italy. Though it’s not clear where his territory will be, bringing in a scout with experience in less-known hockey countries like Italy and Austria can never be a bad thing.
These hires represent some of the first few that don’t have immediate ties to McPhee from the Washington Capitals organization, though McCrimmon would be very familiar with Campese from his days in the WHL, and played with Karpan in junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 1979-80.
PHR Interview With The AP’s Stephen Whyno
Associated Press sports writer Stephen Whyno was kind enough to sit down with PHR and touched on a number of hockey issues. Whyno is based out of Washington, so we also touched on the Capitals and how Washington will fare this year. You can find Stephen’s work here at the AP (he does a great job with other sports as well), and give him a follow at Twitter @SWhyno.
PHR: Barring any significant injuries in the World Cup of Hockey, or in training camp, who do you have as an early favorite this season? What about sleepers?
Whyno: It’s hard not to love the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially in an era in which no NHL team ever repeats. Sorry, Penguins. If Pittsburgh bucks the trend, there’s plenty of talent there to make it happen, but a long way into June makes it tough on Pittsburgh and the San Jose Sharks. A return to the top for the Chicago Blackhawks would also not be all that surprising. Let me throw out the New Jersey Devils as an Eastern Conference sleeper because Cory Schneider is capable of carrying a team to plenty of points and there will be better all-around play with the additions of Taylor Hall and Ben Lovejoy. In the West: How about the Roy-less Avalanche? Give this bunch the right up-tempo system and let the talent of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene and Co. take over.
PHR: The Capitals had a great season but ran into the Pittsburgh buzzsaw. What do you see out of them in 2016-17?
Whyno: I see a Capitals team that will be far less interested in the odd Tuesday game in November or even the Saturday night in January after losing in the second round with the Presidents’ Trophy. Washington would love to be like the 2014-15 Blackhawks, cruising and then turning it on to win it all. The team is almost the same as last season so there’s no doubt it’s a contender, so as always the proving ground comes in April and May.
PHR: A Canadian team has to make the playoffs…right?
Whyno: Yes. I mean–probably. Assuming Carey Price is healthy for most of the–if not the entire season, the Montreal Canadiens will make it back – P.K. or no P.K. Beyond that, it’s a crapshoot.
PHR: How is Las Vegas doing with their front office work? And who do you think they tap to be the bench boss?
Whyno: George McPhee is turning Las Vegas into Captials West. There is plenty of Washington influence there with the exception of assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon, who had significant NHL interest and is very well-respected in hockey circles. Looks like it’s going well so far but a long time until Las Vegas has even one player. I’d expect someone with a connection to McPhee (Ron Wilson? Dean Evason of the Milwaukee Admirals?) to be among the top candidates as coach. But it will also be a long time until that hire is made.
Snapshots: Pavelski, Trouba, Orlov, DiPauli, Sobotka
According to CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is expected to be named captain of Team USA at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey. After being named San Jose’s captain last October, Pavelski led the Sharks to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sharks managed to do this despite whatever acrimony may have been caused by having two veteran stars, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who had previously been stripped of the captaincy. The captain of the last American Olympic team, Zach Parise, is expected to play in this tournament.
Pavelski, 32, is the second oldest American player at this tournament, two months younger than Boston’s David Backes. He has scored 116 goals over the last three seasons, second only to Alex Ovechkin in that time. He also led this year’s playoffs in goal scoring with 14. Pavelski has previously represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, as well as the 2009 IIHF World Championships.
Here are some more links from around the league.
- Being out of a contract won’t stop players from appearing at the World Cup. Kurt Overhardt, the agent for Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba confirmed today that his client will still suit up for Team North America. Mark Gandler, the agent for Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov, told the Washington Post that Orlov will still play for Russia.
- CBC’s Tim Wharnsby reports that the Penguins will sign free agent forward Thomas DiPauli from the University of Notre Dame. His agent, Peter Fish, called this report “a little premature,” adding that “nothing has been signed or agreed to yet.” DiPauli was a fourth round pick of the Capitals who, like Jimmy Vesey, went unsigned and became a free agent. DiPauli scored 14 goals, 32 points in 37 games for the Fighting Irish this year. He was, for two years, a teammate at Notre Dame of Penguins forward Bryan Rust.
- Despite reports out of Russia to the contrary, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong says that he spoke with the agent for forward Vladimir Sobotka yesterday, and that he has been assured of Sobotka’s return to the team for this coming season. Sobotka has played the last two seasons in the KHL for Avangard Omsk, but has committed to returning to the NHL this season. Sobotka had nine goals, 33 points in 61 games for the Blues in 2014, his last season in the NHL.
Metro Notes: Vesey, Lambert, Penguins, Flyers
The Metropolitan Division seems like ground zero for the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes. The free agent forward out of Harvard has reportedly received interest from the Devils, Penguins, Islanders, Rangers, Blue Jackets, Hurricanes, and Flyers. Reading through the links, you’ll see that the Flyers and Blue Jackets are not believed to be serious contenders for Vesey, while the Penguins in particular made a strong impression. The Devils have long been considered one of the favorites to sign him, while the Islanders brought along captain John Tavares for the recruitment.
Vesey is said to be holding out until at least Friday to make his final decision. Other teams reportedly pushing for Vesey include the Maple Leafs, Bruins, and Blackhawks. For all our coverage on Vesey’s decision, click here. For more notes from around the Metropolitan Division, keep reading here.
- Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that Capitals assistant coach Lane Lambert is among the candidates to take over the Colorado Avalanche head coaching job. Lambert has spent the last two years in Washington under head coach Barry Trotz, and was previously his assistant for four years in Nasvhille.
- The Wheeling Nailers have signed on for two more years as the Penguins’ ECHL affiliate. The Nailers, based out of West Virginia, appeared in last year’s Kelly Cup Finals, before losing in six games to the Allen Americans. Strangely enough, the Americans are affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, who the Penguins beat in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.
- The Flyers have hired Dr. Ben Peterson as their Director of Sports Science. SB Nation’s Flyers site has a rundown of Peterson’s credentials, as obtained from his Linkedin page. It’s some pretty heavy stuff, and given his experience, he appears to go far beyond the data-based analysis that’s easily found online.
Interest In DiPauli From At Least Six Teams
While everyone watches closely and awaits a decision from Harvard product and free agent Jimmy Vesey, another college name is garnering a lot of attention from teams around the league. Thomas DiPauli, the Notre Dame winger and former Washington Capitals draft pick is also a free agent, and according to Mark Divver of The Providence Journal there is currently interest from half a dozen teams, and he won’t go unsigned long.
Back in July, we profiled DiPauli after he declared his intention to test free agency, and he was recently ranked #2 on our top college free agents, behind only Vesey. DiPauli isn’t the scoring threat that Vesey is, but does profile as a solid contributor in the bottom six, with the capability of scoring 10-15 goals in the NHL. His two-way style is always sought after as teams look to roll four lines more often in today’s NHL.
Should DiPauli sign somewhere in the next few days, he’ll be added to the list of positives for that team in the Vesey sweepstakes, as the two share an agent and are both graduates of the US Development Program. One could speculate that at least some of the same teams that are after Vesey are the ones in the hunt for DiPauli as well, as teams look to get essentially “free” young talent.
Off-Season To Date: Metropolitan Division
The NHL has entered its seasonal lull where teams are done signing free agents and will wait until training camp to make major roster moves. We have already documented the off-season moves of Atlantic Division teams, and now we take a quick look at the Metropolitan Division.
Carolina Hurricanes
Key Additions: Lee Stempniak, Teuvo Teravainen, Viktor Stalberg, Bryan Bickell
Key Departures: Riley Nash, Nathan Gerbe, James Wisniewski
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $16,736,667
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: Carolina got paid Teravainen to take Bickell’s contract by Chicago this summer, and added a top-ten free agent in Stempniak. The offense improved, but the defense remains an issue outside of Justin Faulk. In a stacked Metropolitan, the Hurricanes did not appear to do enough to challenge for a playoff spot.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Key Additions: Sam Gagner
Key Departures: Jared Boll, Fedor Tyutin, Justin Falk
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,817,857
Projected Roster Size: 20
Notes: Despite finishing last in the Metropolitan, the Blue Jackets are up tight against the cap, and did little to alleviate their situation. The cap situation prevented the Blue Jackets from making any major additions, but the team was expected to deal some higher-paid underperformers. Without any major changes, Columbus seems destimed to miss the playoffs once again.
New Jersey Devils
Key Additions: Taylor Hall, Beau Bennett, Vernon Fiddler, Ben Lovejoy, Marc Savard
Key Departures: Adam Larsson, Jiri Tlusty, Patrik Elias, Tuomo Ruutu, David Schlemko
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $12,319,404
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Devils made a blockbuster trade this offseason, landing Taylor Hall in exchange for Defenseman Adam Larsson. They also added two ex-Penguins in an effort to stay competitive in the Metropolitan. Elias is still deciding whether to retire, but if he returns, he says it will only be for the Devils.
New York Islanders
Key Additions: Andrew Ladd, P.A. Parenteau, Jason Chimera
Key Departures: Frans Nielson, Kyle Okposo, Matt Martin, Marek Zidlicky
Unsigned RFAs: Ryan Strome, Christopher Gibson
Cap Space: $3,658,524
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Isles’ forward corp received a shakeup this offseason, with their 2nd and 3rd leading scorers signing elsewhere as free agents. The team signed Ladd and Chimera to plug those holes, but only time will tell if those additions allow the Islanders to build off of their rare playoff success.
New York Rangers
Key Additions: Mika Zibanejad, Nathan Gerbe, Michael Grabner, Josh Jooris, Nick Holden, Adam Clendening, Maxim Lapierre (PTO)
Key Departures: Derick Brassard, Eric Staal, Viktor Stalberg, Keith Yandle, Dominic Moore, Dan Boyle
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,425,000
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Rangers let Yandle and Staal walk this summer but did not make any signing splashes of their own. They acquired Zibanejad from the Senators in a deal for Derick Brassard, a trade many view as a slight downgrade. New York’s window with Lundqvist is closing as he gets older, so it was a surprise to see the Rangers abstain from any big acquisitions this summer.
Philadelphia Flyers
Key Additions: Boyd Gordon, Dale Weise
Key Departures: Ryan White, Sam Gagner, R.J. Umberger
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $413,334
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Flyers are right up against the Cap and could not make any major additions this summer. It’ll be up to GM Ron Hextall to find creative solutions for improving the team if the Flyers make a playoff push.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Key Additions: None
Key Departures: Beau Bennett, Matt Cullen, Ben Lovejoy, Jeff Zatkoff
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: -$2,757,499.
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Penguins could not do much after winning the Stanley Cup given that they are over the cap by almost $3MM. Pittsburgh will alleviate some of that pressure by putting Pascal Dupuis on LTIR once the season starts, but the cap is harsh to Stanley Cup winners. The Penguins will have get used to shedding salary and picking up new parts on the cheap—something the Chicago Blackhawks have experienced more than once.
Washington Capitals
Key Additions: Lars Eller, Brett Connolly
Key Departures: Jason Chimera, Mike Richards
Unsigned RFAs: Dmitry Orlov
Cap Space: $3,454,871
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Caps tweaked their roster after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the 2nd round. They added Eller in exchange for draft picks, and let Chimera and Richards walk so that the team had cap room for Orlov. Orlov still isn’t signed, and a strong showing at the World Cup of Hockey for the Russian defenseman could force the Capitals to pay more than they expected.
Retained Salary in 2016-17: Metropolitan Division
As a new season fast approaches, it’s always nice to look back and reminisce on years and players gone by. Unfortunately for most NHL teams, those feelings of nostalgia are usually cut short by the realization that some of those past players are still on the team’s payroll. Retained salary is a fact of life in the National Hockey League, as buyouts have become commonplace and retaining a portion of an outgoing player’s cap hit is often a deal-breaker in many trades. Retained salary can last long past the playing days of a former player (see Rick DiPietro) or can simply be for just one year. One way or another nearly every NHL team has at least one guy who’s still being paid without having to perform. Below is a list of all the retained salary in the Metropolitan Division in 2016-17:
Carolina Hurricanes
- Alexander Semin ($2.33MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2020-21): The Hurricanes first signed Semin in the summer of 2012 to a one-year, $7MM “show me” deal. While they were paying Semin a good amount of money, they were not prepared to commit long-term to a player know to be one-dimensional and streaky. However, Semin responded with a point-per-game campaign in 44 contests. The Hurricanes bought in, renewing Semin’s $7MM price tag with a five-year, $35MM extension. Semin put up another 40+ point season in 2013-14 season, but then, inexplicably, the wheels fell off. In 57 games in 2014-15, Semin only managed to score 19 points while contributing little else for Carolina. The Canes had no choice but to get rid of him, and the only route was through a buyout. With $21MM over three years left on his contract, they were saddled with a six-year, $14MM settlement, and still have five years left to go.
- James Wisniewski ($3.5MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1MM in 2017-18): Carolina did not have much better luck with Wisniewski. After trading Anton Khudobin to the Anaheim Ducks last summer to get the puck-moving defenseman, the Hurricanes got to watch him skate for just 47 seconds in the regular season opener before he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the year. Wisniewski had one year remaining on a six-year, $33MM deal he signed in Columbus in 2011, but faced with the prospect of a $5.5MM cap hit for a defenseman coming off a serious knee injury, Carolina decided instead to cut and run. While the buyout hit of $3.5MM in 2016-17 is tough, it’s already better to pay Wisniewski that for not playing this season since they already payed him $5.5MM for less than a minute last season. Recent events imply that the Hurricanes may have been correct to distance themselves from Wisniewski, as the once top-pair defenseman had enough trouble locking down a guaranteed contract that he committed to a professional tryout deal with Tampa Bay last week.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- Fedor Tyutin ($1.2MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1.96 in 2017-18, $1.46MM in 2018-19 and 2019-20): Dissapointed in the sharp decline of long-time defenseman Tyutin, the Blue Jackets made the tough call to cut ties with the 33-year-old this off-season rather than continue paying him $4.5MM over the next two seasons. Tyutin failed to make much of a difference for Columbus last season, and though paying him into retirement is not favorable, the Jackets could not afford another three-point season frought with defensive lapses at that price. Things have turned out alright for Tyutin though; he signed a one-year, $2MM pact with the Colorado Avalanche and is set to continue his NHL career.
- Jared Boll ($567K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Like Tyutin, the rebuilding Blue Jackets did not see a future with Boll and bought out the final year of his contract this summer. A grinder without much offensive upside who struggled with injuries in 2015-16, Boll didn’t fit with the young and fast core being built in Columbus, and at $1.7MM was simply an inconvenience. Unlike Tyutin, who had been a solid presence on the Blue Jackets’ blue line for a long time, Boll’s presence will likely not be missed and the sub-$1MM buyout hit won’t make much of a difference for Columbus. Boll has moved on anyways, signing a two-year $1.8MM deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
New Jersey Devils
- Ilya Kovalchuk ($250K cap hit from 2016-17 to 2024-25): In one of the more outrageous contracts in NHL history, Kovalchuk hit the open market for the first time in 2010 and the Devils signed him to a 15-year, $100MM contract. The league initially rejected the offer for too obviously circumventing the salary cap, but even after it was fixed, it was still ridiculous. The contract, which would have had the Russian star playing in New Jersey until he was 42, held only a $6.67MM cap hit. However, Kovalchuk was to be paid over $11MM in salary in years three through eight. After that, the salaries began to plummet. In fact, over the course of the 15-year deal, the salary ranged in value from a mere $1MM to a whopping $11.8MM (ironically in 2016-17). Thus, the Devils knew that the contract carried a very big threat of recapture penalties if Kovalchuk retired early. As we all know, Kovalchuk retired very early, heading home to Russia following the 2012-13 season. In a weird twist, the Devils were actually saved by Kovalchuk retiring very early, before the front-loaded salaries started to pile up. Had he retired nine or ten years into the deal instead of just three, New Jersey could have been facing over $4MM in recapture penalties each year, instead of just $250K. While having a chunk of cap space taken off each year for 12 years is a harsh reminder of a rogue superstar, Kovalchuk’s departure may have been a blessing in disguise for New Jersey.
- Anton Volchenkov (no cap hit): Following the negotiation of the past NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, in both 2013 and 2014 all teams were able to use a “compliance buyout” on contracts signed prior to the 2012-13 season. The compliance buyouts would still be used to make payments to players, but it would not count against the salary cap. The Devils used such a buyout on Volchenkov in 2013, who was no longer worth anywhere near the value of the six-year, $25.5MM deal he had signed with the team in 2010. Rather than keep him and his $4.25MM cap hit for the three years remaining or buy him out and face six years worth of buyout hits, the Devils took the opportunity for a “do-over” and used their compliance buyout. The teams still pays Volchenkov over $1.4MM every year, but it has no effect on the rest of the team. Volchenkov played one season in Nashville after departing the Devils, but had similar results and has been out of the NHL since.
New York Islanders
- Rick DiPietro (no cap hit): In the most obvious compliance buyout of all-time, the Islanders were able to rid themselves of Rick DiPietro’s infamous 15-year contract. Signed in 2006 after the 24-year-old goalie had shown signs of potential stardom, it was the longest NHL contract to date and carried a combined cap hit of 67.5MM. While 4.5MM per year for the entire career of a star goalie sounds pretty good, DiPietro had one more good year in him and then started to decline drastically and struggle year in and year out with injuries. In the five years leading up to his buyout, he played in 50 games total and had a save percentage under .900. Armed with the unique chance to avoid eight more years of the same without having to pay the price in cap space, the Isles jumped at the chance for a compliance buyout. Though they still pay the steep price of $1.5MM to DiPietro every year, and must do so until 2029, it has no effect on the current team and can be more or less forgotten.
New York Rangers
- Brad Richards (no cap hit): Not to the same extent of their cross-town rivals and their “franchise goalie”, but the Rangers were also very happy to get a chance at a compliance buyout when it came to Richards. While Richards would go on to have a couple of successful seasons with the Blackhawks and Red Wings after leaving New York, his production was not really worthy of what the Rangers would have paid him. In 2011, Richards was the “must-have” free agent of the summer, coming off back-to-back seasons of over a point-per-game with the Dallas Stars. The Rangers won the bidding, giving him a nine-year $60MM contract. The deal, like many long-term deals at that time, was very front loaded. It paid Richards $12MM in each of the first two seasons and only $1MM in each of the last three. The cap hit of $6.67MM was manageable for the Rangers at first, as Richards put up good numbers, but he was also showing decline and the threat of a big cap hit for an aging player and monstrous recapture penalties led to decision to use a compliance buyout on Richards. In retrospect, it was very smart, as Richards announced his retirement earlier this summer after two more years of declining production. New York paid Richards over $3MM each of the past two years in accordance with the buyout settlement and are set to pay a little more than $5MM in 2016-17 before settling in to a payment of just north of $1MM each year until 2025-16. Luckily for them, none of it touches the salary cap for a team that is constantly in a cap crunch.
Philadelphia Flyers
- Ilya Bryzgalov (no cap hit): The Flyers make a trio of Metro teams that used their compliance buyouts wisely, as Philadelphia was able to escape from a nine-year, $51MM contract they gave to the eccentric Russian goalie Bryzgalov. After back-to-back stellar seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Flyers jumped on Bryzgalov in free agency in 2011, giving him a monster contract. However, as it so often goes in Philadelphia, the goalie didn’t work out and after just two years, the Flyers were ready to dump his $4.65MM cap hit. Though a 14-year buyout plan with annual payments of $1.64MM is not fun, the Flyers were able to move forward with new goalies and no negative impact on the salary cap.
- R.J. Umberger ($1.6MM in 2016-17 and 2017-18): A recent buyout victim, Umberger simply stopped producing. After starting his career off strongly in Philadelphia, Umberger was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became a star. The Jackets rewarded him with a five-year, $23MM deal in 2012, but then watched his number gradually decrease each year. With three years left on his contract, he was traded back to the Flyers, but the homecoming did not lead to many points. After two brutal seasons, Philadelphia decided to let Umberger and his $4.6MM cap hit go before the final year of his contract. They’ll pay for it over the next two seasons with significant cap hits, but it’s worth it considering their tight cap space entering 2016-17. Meanwhile, Umberger’s career appears likely to be over.
Pittsburgh Penguins
- Rob Scuderi ($1.125MM in 2016-17): In one of the funnier circumstances of the 2015-16 season, the Penguins held on to one third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for fellow underperforming defenseman Trevor Daley. Then, the Blackhawks held on to another third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for yet another underperforming defenseman, Christian Ehrhoff. Now going into 2016-17, the final year of four-year $13.5MM deal he signed when he returned to Pittsburgh, the Penguins, Hawks, and Kings will all pay $1.125MM of his contract. Maybe Scuderi will return to form this season and at least avoid being traded more than once.
Washington Capitals
- NONE. Right? The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners will not pay anyone this season who isn’t on the ice for them. Cap efficiency, that’s the key to NHL success.
Roster Crunch: Metropolitan Division
We’ve taken a look at three out of the four divisions now, and the decisions they’ll have to make come training camp. The Pacific’s depth on defense, the changes coming up front in the Central, and the mass of young talent set to break through in the Atlantic. Now, we’ll take a look at the what many considered the best division in hockey last year, with four 100-point teams and both the President’s Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champions.
Washington Capitals – There is probably no team with fewer uncertainties going into the season than the Washington Capitals. After running away with the regular season points lead, the Capitals couldn’t even make it to the Stanley Cup final, but they’ll head into next season with largely the same group. They brought in Lars Eller, whose possession numbers should help the third line, and allowed Jason Chimera and Mike Richards to walk (though the latter remains unsigned). Basically the only battle in camp will be for a fourth line or 13th forward spot; can Brett Connolly do enough to make the squad over Stanislav Galiev? Exciting stuff.
Las Vegas Notes: Nickname, Legal, Preseason
The Las Vegas expansion team has been a big story this summer, after being announced by the league just before the draft. The team has built a core front office, headed by new general manager George McPhee, and is surely beginning to build their strategy for next year’s expansion draft where many talented players will be left unprotected. Here is the latest news surrounding the NHL’s 31st franchise:
- Tuesday on Sportsbook Radio in Las Vegas, team owner Bill Foley talked about all the work he’s done so far on the club. On his original GM search, he said that there was seven potential candidates, eventually settling on McPhee because of his dedication to hockey and contacts throughout the league. “As a 17-year GM of the Capitals, and prior that an AGM of the Canucks, he really did everything. He built the Capitals up from the point where they had about 2500 or 3000 season tickets to where they were selling out.”
- On the nickname search, which last week was reported to be having trouble with the presumptive favorite “Knights”, Foley said they have vetted four different names that they believe are all available. It is definitely not Black Knights, due to push-back from a variety of organizations. There is also a “bird that we have available to us, that we may use”.
- The team is working on a brand new practice facility as well, and Foley gave an update: “We believe we’ll be breaking ground some time in the month of October. That’s our target. We also believe we’ll be moving in September 1st of 2017.”
- On Twitter, the team released that they’ve hired Andrew Lugerner as Director of Hockey Legal Affairs, but gave no information on what his responsibilities will be. Lugerner was formerly an associate at Latham & Watkins in New York.
- When the NHL released their preseason schedule on Wednesday, they included two games that will be played in Las Vegas on October 7th and 8th. Los Angeles will play in both games. Perhaps these will line up with a breaking ground ceremony for the practice facility, or a reveal of the name and logo for the team.